Between 1980 and 1994, the juvenile arrest rate for Property Crime Index offenses varied little, always remaining within 10% of the average for the period.

After years of relative stability, the juvenile Property Crime Index arrest rate began a decline in the mid-1990s that continued annually until reaching a then historic low in 2006, down 54% from its 1988 peak.

This nearly two-decade decline was followed by a 10% increase over the next 2 years, and then a 31% decline since 2008. As a result, juveniles were far less likely to be arrested for property crimes in 2012 than they were 30 years earlier.

In 2012, for every 100,000 youth in the U.S. ages 10 to 17, there were 883 arrests of juveniles for Property Crime Index offenses.